“It was great that Crestwood’s Implementation Manager really knew both systems well. That was a big advantage for us because she knows Great Plains, she knows Business Central, so she understood what we were trying to accomplish.”
— Noreen Howlett, Accounting Manager
The Executives’ Club of Chicago, a large membership organization supporting the Chicagoland business community, faced significant ERP needs. They had been relying on Great Plains for over a decade, but the realization that the ERP system was being phased out prompted them to seek a change.
The existing system was deemed cumbersome and overly complex for their operations. The emergence of remote work and a challenging cybersecurity landscape further emphasized the need for a robust, cloud-based solution. Connectivity issues had caused slowdowns and led to frequent IT consultant calls, making a move to the cloud all the more appealing. Looking back, Accounting Manager Noreen Howlett remarked, “I’ve forgotten how slow it was at the end there. It was miserable.”
A major concern around migrating to the new system however, was data loss and security. The Executives’ Club of Chicago leadership had to be assured of a smooth, secure transition.
Microsoft Business Central emerged as the solution, offering more sophisticated reporting options and a cloud-based infrastructure. Crestwood Associates played a pivotal role, providing a clear bridge from Great Plains to the new ERP system, ensuring data accessibility throughout the process.
The Executives’ Club of Chicago team had a precise list of functionality requirements for Microsoft Business Central, and Crestwood Associates’ deep knowledge of both systems enabled them to grasp and fulfill these needs. This expertise facilitated a seamless transition from Great Plains to Business Central, with the team’s high comfort level with Crestwood alleviating data loss concerns.
Noreen Howlett noted, “It was great that Crestwood’s Implementation Manager really knew both systems well. That was a big advantage for us because she knows Great Plains, she knows Business Central, so she understood what we were trying to accomplish.”
From a financial perspective, The Executives’ Club found that they did not require many user licenses for Business Central, making it a highly affordable, choice. Crestwood Associates’ role and support proved to be exceptionally cost-effective. Their guidance in managing expectations and project timelines led to minimal hitches in the implementation schedule, ensuring adherence to the budget.
Business Central’s capabilities, as a made to manage ERP system, allowed the organization to perform a wide variety of reporting and information tasks tailored to their specific needs. The ability to run budgets against actual reports, including the required dimensions, was a key feature.
The accounting team could rapidly generate departmental reports and distribute them to the business to assess departmental performance against the budget. Furthermore, the integration of Business Central with the CRM database, NetForum, facilitated smooth invoice generation.
In this ERP success story and ERP case study, the expertise and responsiveness of Crestwood Associates, particularly their Implementation Manager, played a pivotal role in guaranteeing a successful transition. Their profound knowledge of both Great Plains and Business Central addressed the organization’s concerns, fostering confidence in the decision to partner with Crestwood for this critical transition.